Choosing a logo that captures the essence of next generation gamification

April 27, 2014 | By Gal Rimon

We recently finished working on our branding, and one of the first changes we made were to our logo (I won’t elaborate on why we changed the old logo, except that it was, well, old). We decided to put some thought into it – mainly on how to communicate our beliefs about what next generation gamification should do.

Our logo designer presented us with great options. Initially she offered elements that were closer to “fun” – but gamification isn’t about fun at work. It’s about using game mechanics to drive meaning and skill into employee workdays, giving them the enjoyment of mastery and aligning them with corporate goals.
That’s why we narrowed down our choices to the following three options:

One has a medal:

One a star, like those awarded by teachers to students that do well:

One a winner’s podium:

Initially we were attracted to the medal, turning the letter “v” into a ribbon from which a medal hangs. The podium looked less attractive.

Yet we thought about medals – weren’t our views on gamficiation the exact opposite of badges, medals and points? Did we think that gamification required more than simplistic “points” – but rather to encourage a richer view of the behavior affected, leading to a more skillful mastery acquired?

That’s why we opted for the podium and the person above it. Gamification isn’t about assigning points and badges. Gamification empowers employees because it teaches them the skills they need to master their trades. That makes employees into winners.